The Final Post

You are going to miss this. Am I?

I will be quite straight forward with you throughout this post. I was not at all excited to start this project for my English class. However, Mr. Parker, through writing almost a whole school year; I have come to the conclusion that my statement at the beginning of the school year was correct. To be perfectly honest, I have not really enjoyed writing blogs. To also be honest, writing this post does not quite sadden me. Really I am pretty happy.

Despite this fact, I have changed a ton throughout this blog. Though I may have not liked the assignment it does not mean that it did not shape me as a person or as a writer. Don't get me wrong, I love creative writing and that is exactly what this is. However, through this project I came to the realization that writing creatively about a specific subject is extremely hard and yet extremely fun. I have noticed a definite change in my writing and in my tone. It is interesting how not only a person can change and develop, but their writing can as well.

You may be wondering how this post has anything to do with golf. By you I mean me, because frankly I feel like I am my only viewer. So to all of you who want to understand what this has to do with golf, I am here to tell you. I started blogging in September of last year. For those of you that do not understand the golf season, that was about the beginning. Not only has my writing experienced a change but so has my golf game. Last year I averaged around a 50 on nine holes and a 100 on 18. This year, I have been averaging around 45 on nine and 90 on 18. It may not be a huge differences but it is a change. And a change for the better.

Thank you (me) for allowing me the opportunity to blabber on about golf for give or take 7 months. I really appreciate your (my) support and patients. Again, though I did and do not particularly care for the blog that I have been writing on for the past seven months. I do care for the things that it has taught me. It has taught me how to be a better golfer, how to be a perfect procrastinator, and also a really amazing advice giver. Seriously, I have changed a lot. This blog has helped me see that.

Thanks y'all for the ride,

"Turn out the lights. The party's over"

- JT

Olympic Golf

The Course Layout: Image Courtesy French Creek Golf

It is official and it has been for a while. Golf will be a sport in the 2016 Summer Olympics. This is pretty cool for golf fans everywhere.

Has golf ever been in any of the Olympics? The answer is yes. Though most and even the best golf historians will tell you it has not. This is not true. In the Summer Olympics of 1900, held in Paris France, golf was apart of the Olympics. It is true that since then golf has been excluded from all the other Olympics, until this next year. Rio De Janeiro has planned and constructed a course for the games. The course looks decent. I do not know how the professionals will react to it, but I believe they are just happy to be playing. Despite condition, I am ready for it to open and be played. I am very excited to see players from all different countries doing so.

Got a Little Ways to Go: Image Courtesy Golf Digest

I have heard from many people that as soon as an activity is entered into the Olympics, it is an official sport. So, Mr. Parker, there you have it. Golf beginning the summer of next year will be an official sport. Oh wait, silly me, it has been for the past 115 years thanks to Paris. I can wait a year for all of those golf haters to see it reoccur in Brazil.

This "new"sport brings many questions into my mind. What made Brazil want to bring golf back into the Olympics? Also, why has it taken 115 years to reenter golf into the Summer Olympics? How will countries compete?

Getting Closer: Image Courtesy Inside Golf

If you have any other questions please comment them. If you know any of the answers to mine, please answer them also in the comment section.

Bears and Golf?

This past week has been an interesting one for Park City Utah. Extremely interesting! It all started around Monday of last week in Jeremy Ranch. A black bear was spotted in the area.  There happens to be a golf course right there in Jeremy Ranch. Therefore the chances that this bear went for a stroll at night or during the day on the course are very likely.

Image Courtesy: KSL 

The story of this two year old black bear just gets better and better. Tuesday the bear had disappeared and all seemed well until Wednesday when another report of the bear came into police. Park City schools were under lock down as police searched for the black bear. Though it was never found, you will never guess where the black bear was spotted at first. The black bear was spotted in Park Meadows! This doesn't have any relevance unless you live in Park City. Coincidentally, Park Meadows also has a golf course. And it turned out that the bear was sited near the course. I'm just guessing that this bear had walked the course as well.

As of Thursday the bear was gone. Though the DWR set traps to catch and relocate the black bear. I do not believe that we should call it a black bear anymore. I think we call it the "course bear". The course bear has disappeared. And though the DWR is asking where he has gone. I think the real question is where is the nearest course. I wonder which course the course bear will choose next.

Is Practicing Bad?

It is interesting to note that Monday I shot 46. It is also notable that I practiced three days after that. However, when the next Monday came, I shot 56. Now, did my practicing degrade my game? Is practicing bad?

Practicing is not bad. Practicing is most essential to your golf game. You cannot do well in the game without practicing. I figured this out. What did I do differently Monday, that I did not do the next Monday? This is the question I asked myself over and over again. I have only came to conclusions. These two conclusions have allowed me to understand how you can add or subtract ten strokes.

Image Courtesy: Harris Internet 
Don't let your first tee shot do this to you.

First: On Monday I warmed up. I took 45 minutes before my round to warm up. I took a wedge, iron, putter, and finally my driver. I spent about ten minutes on each club and then spent the last five minutes on whatever I did the worst. Then I headed out and played decently. In contrast, the next Monday I teed up not having shot any practice shots and cut it far right. This put me in a bad state of mind and the game got to my head. I couldn't believe myself. I let my first shot control the rest of my game. This is something I need to let go of, but often I cannot help it.

Second: On Monday my mind was in the game. What does it mean to have "your mind in the game?" This is simple. You need to have your mind focused on golf. When playing your round you need to let go of all other thoughts and focus on every shot. Make every shot count, and "keep your mind in the game." The following Monday my mind was far from the game. I couldn't think about my shots. And frankly I did not care how I played. I needed to though. It is not that having other thoughts is bad in any way, because they are not. You just need to balance them with golf, or just not plan on shooting well.

In conclusion, if you want to add ten strokes to your game then I have the perfect solution. I recommend you go to the course without practicing for a week. Next get your head out of the game. Don't focus on your shots, and think about all the other things happening in your life. Some of your thoughts
should include friends, school, and work. I guarantee you you will play terrible!

Good luck!

No Snow, Golf's A Go

Image Courtesy: Park City Mountain Resort

Due to the lack of snow, skiing has not been good this year. I will take this opportunity to state the fact that I have only been skiing this season five times. I am such a die hard skier. All break long I ski. Whenever I have the opportunity to ski, I am doing it. Not at all. I honestly am one of the worst skiers that there is. The confidence that I have in my skiing is bad due to past experiences, and I just do not enjoy it. However, my parents make me go. I understand that this is ethical. They did pay for a seasons pass after all and I should have used it more. It is amazing to me how much I took snow and skiing for granted. I had the opportunity to sit with a tourist from Taiwan on the lift. It was fascinating how much she was enjoying the garbage snow. She asked me how many times that I had been skiing in the season (keep in mind this was around December or January) and at the time, I had replied none. This was my first time and this lady flipped out!! With the little english that she knew she was going crazy! She asked me why I had not skied and I told her that the snow was not good. She automatically knew from that response that I had to be a local. She gave me some more garbage about how I should be skiing snow. That snow is snow, and all snow is good. This was eye opening. I really didn't think of snow being snow. From then on I realized how much I have taken for granted, and that I need to ski more.

However to be completely honest, winter was only fun for maybe the first three weeks. By then I was done with it, and to say the least it was done with me. Winter in Park City did not last long. At first I found myself complaining that winter was too short. Though with time, clearing driveways, wearing shorts, and thinking about summer. I began to hate the snow.

Jeremy Ranch Golf Course: Image Courtesy The Jeremy Ranch

Despite the hatred of snow, I am starting again to miss it. This happens every year. Sometimes you do not know how much you like something until you do not have it anymore. This happens to be the case in with snow. I have only had those thoughts up until this point. At this point they have died away. This point being the opening day of The Jeremy Ranch Golf Course. This excites me! I can finally be back on the green grass with the clubs that I love. Swinging and swinging and swinging, swing after swing. I went over to the driving range the Saturday after it opened. I am pleased to report that after an hour of practice I stunk. I did better than I think that I would do, due to the fact that stinking is better than failing. On the bright side, spring is finally here and so is golf. Golf is off to a pretty good start, and I am ready for it. Bring on the new season! Here goes nothing.

St. George: Come and Gone

Before:
This week Park City students have one of the best breaks. Our break is called "winter break". This break is awesome. While there are some ski bums that stay home and ski on the water that we have this year. Other normal kids, go somewhere where it is warm. I am one of those kids. I have the opportunity to go to St. George Utah. Why do I mention this? I mention this because St. George is supposed to have temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's. In my opinion this is the perfect temperature for golfing. While I would like to say that all I am going to be doing is golfing, this is far from the truth. I enjoy mountain biking as well and the majority of my trip will be filled by doing that.

Bear Claw Poppy: Image Courtesy of MTB Project

Recap:
The first full day I arrived I mountain biked. I biked a trail called Bear Claw Poppy. This trail is really fun we rode it several times and I wrecked on it several times (luckily golf is a safe sport). Sunday I went through grave yards and took pictures of ancestors. On monday I mountain biked and went to a pool. Tuesday was interesting. I biked up to some indian cliff art and then went over to my uncles. At my uncles, I enjoyed helping him move back into his house. He brought with him a tree. Literally a tree that he will use to create bowls and other things. In return for my physical labor, I got what I wanted. Wednesday, I woke up and went golfing at The Ledges. I golfed with my uncle and I did not do so well. I did not keep score so I can not report that side of things. Not that it mattered any way. The golf course that I played was in great condition. The fairways were green which was something that I have not seen in a very long time. I also enjoyed the greens and the course layout was awesome.

The Ledges Golf Course: Image Courtesy The Ledges

St. George was a ton of fun! Everyone should go there to golf at least once. The courses really integrate the red rock and sand stone in cool ways. Most courses in St. George have shots that require you to shoot over a canyon which is also a really awesome experience. Mountain biking was a blast and I really enjoyed it. I just overall loved getting out of the snow and cold and into the sunshine and heat. It felt really good. Being outdoors and active was great.

Tis The Season

Original Golf Course Name. Good Job Stone Bridge.

I had the opportunity last weekend to play the Stone Bridge course in Salt Lake City, Utah. Was it a success? You tell me. I haven't been able to play or even swing since early last November when the courses started closing down. That, is DEFINITELY NOT MY FAULT (extreme sarcasm). At the time, I was done with golf. School had officially started and balancing academics and athletics was not the easiest. Anyway, that story is for another day. My Stone Bridge experience was interesting. To start off, I would like to ask why name a course "Stone Bridge"?! I mean there was a small fake stone bridge, though every time I thought of stone bridge I found myself thinking BridgeStone golf. Which to me is not the most appealing. Despite the problem that I had with the name, the course was decent.

I actually really did like the layout of the course. The only complaint that I had
was that it was not designed for a fade. Though this may just be me not being able to play my fade. Also, my fade wasn't even a fade. Stating that my all my shots faded would be a complete understatement. Calling them cuts would also be a complete understatement. In the words of my uncle "It's not a fade, it is NOT even a cut. You are just playing crappy golf!!!!" So this was the support that I received during the whole round of golf.

The course was in exceptionally good condition considering the circumstances. The greens were great! The fairways were a little bit muddy and wet in some areas. However, this was minimal and was only encountered on parts a few holes. When all said and done, I did not shoot a good score. Perhaps the best score of the year, though not good. I shot 48 on the back and 53 on the front. When considering the conditions and when I last played, I guess 101 is not that bad of a score.

When was the last time that you played? Whats your best score in 2015? Leave a comment, and please help me with ideas!

Darth Faders Claim to Fade

Every golfer has a flaw in their swing. This flaw leads to a flaw in their shot. All flaws can be overcome. Just look at the professionals. However, flaws are habits. The more that you practice them, the more that you will use them. I personally have many flaws. One of these many include an insane fade. I have had many instructors and pros try and help me fix my swing. None of what these professionals told me really helped. That is until my uncle came in.

There are many things that have been said that can be done in order to fix a fade. The simplest way is the way that I will talk about first. The easiest way to fix a fade is to just learn to play it. Obviously you consistently fix a fade. If you have tried everything and you just cannot fix it no matter what, than you need to learn how to play it. This may seem like an easy and cheaters way of fixing a fade. You could say this, however even the pros don't fix it by changing their swing. They just learn to adjust their aim to their swing. It is by far the easiest way to fix a fade. All you have to do is to aim a little bit to the left of your target.

The second way that a fade can be fixed is through a method that I developed by myself. This probably was not invented by me. In fact, I am positive that many people use this way to fix their fade. To start, get in your normal and comfortable golf stance. Take your backswing and swing through. On your follow through you want to feel like you are trying so hard to reach something however your arms are not long enough to reach it. You have to reach out in front of you.

My Drawing and Explanation Abilities... Impressive hey?!

The third and easier than the second way to fix your fade is to take a backswing that is three fourths the amount you usually take. Along with doing this, take your backswing extremely slow. Challenge yourself and take it as slow as possible.

So if you are a person, like me that fades every single shot. I challenge you to use one of these techniques. I challenge you even harder to understand how to use the reach method. Just by using my picture. IT IS beautiful.

The Off Season

Golf. The sport thats season lasts a month and a half into the school year. For golfers that live in warmer areas the season is longer. Though some may say that this is a positive thing I disagree. Within the first week I have to admit I had stopped golfing. This is a major problem. Not all of this is my fault however. The weather in Park City plays a role too. It starts to snow and the courses close. Yes, I could go down south, but that would require a five hour drive at least. They also are closed as well. Indoor ranges are expensive and take time to get too. I have developed a solution to all these problems. No more excuses for not having golfed. Though this way of golfing cannot compare in any way to the thrill you get out on the course. It helps maintain a decent swing.

Hitting A Snow Ball

Snow. The stuff that we play in. Can be shaped into many different physical objects. One of which is a ball. Snow balls can be used for many things: snow men, snowball fights, and golf balls. I have been hitting snow balls off my deck since the winter started. Though it may not be doing much it is good to get out and swing a club. After all what is swinging without hitting something!

Now there are no excuses. Except maybe one. You do not want to use your nice clubs to go chunk away at ice and rocks and christmas trees and apples and ornaments. I understand! I didn't either. The best way to find a old club for cheap is to stop by a Deseret Industry (DI) where you can find a club for under five dollars.

A Beginners Guide to Golf (For Extremely Dumb Beginners)

Many will select different ways to teach you the sport of golf. There are many different "methods" to the game. However, I have come up with a GREAT beginners guide to golf.

             Great
              adjective
       
                1. Absolutely terrible and worth nothing: humorous: If one is looking for an answer a great one is not the one to use.
     

Image Courtesy Improve Golf Score: What great tips will do for you.

Golf is a mental sport as previously mentioned, though that isn't going to be a barrier to a beginning golfer. The first thing that a starting golfer needs to obtain is a bag of clubs. This can be done in a number of ways however, I recommend borrowing clubs from a family member or friend. Next, receive a tee time. Call a local golf course and schedule a time that is available. You are ready to golf!

The starting hole. At the start I would encourage you to begin at the Womens Tee's. Take your driver, the club with the largest head. Swing and hit the ball, this could require some practice at the driving range previous to your round. You proceed to walk or drive a cart up to your ball and hit again until you reach the green where the hole and flag are. Finally, use your putter to put the ball into the cup. Or if you get frustrated use your hand and carefully roll it into the hole.

The game sounds fairly simple until you start throwing in the many complicated rules. Though there are so many, here are a few. If you hit a ball to where you can't hit it again, just pick it up and drop it. You now are ready for golf.

You're welcome,

Look for more "You're Welcome" tips and posts in the future.

The Prodigy: Odyssey

When it hit, a bolt of excitement conjured within me. It had been my first time using it. It performed with ease. The swift motion left me gazing. I could not take my eyes of it.  I sat there staring until the sound of a ball hopping into a cup broke my gaze. The first time I had ever used this and I was already in love. Despite the feeling I had just experienced, I decided to proceed testing a variety of different putters. No putter had the specific qualities that I had found previously in the Odyssey Versa 7. 

Image Courtesy: Odyssey

The Odyssey Versa 7 looks amazing! However, it performs well above outstanding. Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson and Thomas Bjorn all use or have used the Versa 7 on tour. There is no question why so many PGA Professionals use this putter.
I have had this putter for almost a year, it still looks and performs as well as it did the first day I got it. I love this putter for multiple reasons. One of which is price. This putter can be bought for a fairly inexpensive price on eBay. The control that one finds is spectacular. I put a new and larger grip on the shaft to ensure that I had complete control. Another key trait that I very much like about the Odyssey Versa 7 is that the mallet is not to heavy and is completely balanced. 

I strongly recommend this putter. It is affordable and you definitely get what you pay for. Wether you are a rookie amateur or pro, this putter suits all.